Blood specimen container and cooperating withdrawing means



BLOOD SPECIMEN CONTAINER AND COOPERATING WITHDRAWING MEANS A. DOLMATCH Filed Feb. 3, 1945 R. m n a z W 8 W2 o N m v a l Patented Feb. 24, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE BLOOD SPECIMEN CONTAINER AND COOP- ERATIN G WITHDRAWING MEANS Aaron Dolmatch, Newark, N. J.

Application February 3, 1945,, Serial No. 576,069

4 Claims. (01. 128-220) The invention has for an object to provide a simple and inexpensive instrumentality for the above stated purposes which comprises a glass container, preferably in the form of a test tube, and a novel attachable means adapted in conjunction and cooperation therewith to provide a manipulatable suction syringe structure, including a hypodermic needle which may be inserted in a patients body .from which a blood or other body fluid specimen is desired to be withdrawn.

The invention has for another-object to provide an instrumentality of the kind mentioned comprising twc tubular glass members adapted to be loosely engaged telescopically, one of said members being the container and the other serving as a plunger, novel means being provided iorseparably joining said members in slidable and yet air-tight relation, the plunger member being open end to end, and said plunger member being provided at its external end with an air-tight coupling means for connecting ahypodermic needle element in operative relation thereto.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the novel instrumentality-made according to this invention, the same being shown in its initial collapsed condition; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same in said collapsed condition; Fig. 3 is a similar longitudinal sectional view showing the same as operatively extended for suction effect; Fig. 4 shows the container with its fluid specimen content detached from the plunger means and its fittings, said container being shown in corked or stoppered condition ready for transportation; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View of a modified form of end cap for the plunger member.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, the combined container and suction syringe instrumentality ac-' cording to this invention includes a container member Iii having a closed bottom and an open top, the same being made of glass, and preferably in the form of a test tube. Movably telescope into said container member ID, through the open top end thereof, is a tubular plunger memher 1!, which is open at both its bottom and top ends, the same'being also made of glass.

Due to. the form and arrangement of the hereinafter described means for joining said telescopically related container and plunger members l0 and II in movable and yet air-tight relation', the latter need not be precisely fitted in airtight slidable direct contact one with the other but may be loosely fitted one into the other, and consequently may economically comprise available or standard sizes of tubular glass.

The means for joining said container and plunger members in slidable but air-tight relation comprises a sleeve l2 of soft rubber or equivalent resilient material, suitably sized to engage externally over the top open end portion of the container member Ill. At its upper end, said sleeve IE2 is provided with an inwardly and later-- ally projecting guide and sealing flange l3 which is integral therewith. The inner or free peripheral marginal portion of said guide and sealing flange l3 makes a close air-tight embracing contact with the external surface of the plunger member H, whereby to seal the space between the container and plunger member walls, while nevertheless permitting relative sliding movements of said members.

The outer or top end of the plunger member I I is closed by an end cap which includes means for coupling a hypodermic needle element in operative connection with said plunger member ll. Said end cap consists in a unitary structure preferably made of soft rubber or equivalent resilient material, and comprises a cap body It to bridge and close the top end opening of said plunger member ll, said cap body having a dependent peripheral skirt l5 to engage externally over and around the upper end portion of said plunger member. Extending axially upward from the cap body I4 is a tubular neck portion it, the same being provided at its upper or free end with an inwardly and laterally projecting coupling flange H. Coupled to said cap neck portion i6 is a hypodermic needle 18, the same having a butt portion -I9 provided with an external annular channel or groove 20. Said butt portion I9 is adapted to be inserted in the bore of said cap neck portion IS in such manner that the coupling flange I! of the latter enters said channel or groove 20 of the butt portion [9 of said hypodermic needle, whereby to both hold said needle in connected relation to the plunger end cap,

as well as to effect an air-tight joint or seal between these parts.

When assembled ready for use, the plunger member I I is moved downwardly into the container member l0, whereby to initially collapse the suction syringe structure formed thereby (see Figs. 1 and 2). With the instrumentality in such initial condition, the operator may cause the hypodermic needle to penetrate a vein of the patient from whom a blood specimen e. g. is desired to be obtained. After the needle is in com munciation with a vein, the operator slides the container member llloutwardly along the plunger member ll, thus creating a reduction of pressure within the interior of the assembly, thereby inducing a suction efiect which quickly withdraws blood from the vein. The thus withdrawn blood flows through the endwise open plunger member II, and thence into the container member ID, so as to deposit a specimen B within the latter.

After a specimen B is thus obtained and depested within the container member H), the latter is drawn out of the embrace of the joint sleeve I2, so as to be released therefrom, and thus detached from the plunger member H and its associated parts (see Fig. 4). The container member Ill being thus separated, its open end may be closed by insertion therein of a suitable cork or stopper C. The closed container member, with its contained blood specimen B, may now be conveniently transported to a laboratory for desired examination and report.

Instead of separating the container member 10 from the plunger member II, whereby to employ the former alone as the transportable container, the container and plunger member may, after use in obtaining a blood specimen, be optiona ly permitted to remain assembled, and merely the hypodermic needle I 8 be removed from the c p neck portion [6, so that, after the plunger member is again collapsed into the container member, the bore of said cap neck portion may be closed by a sutably sized cork or stopper, whereupon the assembly itself may serve as a transportable specimen container.

The container and plunger members being made of glass, can be easily and thoroughly cleansed for'reuse, and all parts of the instrumentality may be readily sterilized both prior to reassembly thereof and thereafter, so that a safe and sanitary condition of the instrumentality may be assured prior to each use thereof.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modified form of end cap means which may be optionall for clo ing the outer end of the plunger member I I. This form of end cap is of the plug type, which is preferably al o made of soft rubber or equivalent resilient material, and comprises a plug body 2! insertable in the outer open end of the plunger member I I. Said plug body 2| is provided with an axial bore 22. At the outer end of said bore is an internal annular flange or bead 23. The hypodermic needle may be separably attached to said modified cap mean by inserting its butt portion 19 into the plug body bore 2! in such, manner that the flange or bead 23 enters the channel or groove 20, whereby to both hold said needle in connected relation to the plug body, as well as to effect an air-tight joint or seal between these parts.

From the above it will be apparent that the instant invention provides a very efiicient and convenient instrumentality for the stated purposes, and one which is of very simple construction, involving but four parts exclusive of the hypodermic needle, and these both of low cost and subject to quick and easy assembly into operative relation, especially in view of the fact that the tubular glass container and plunger members need not be precisely finished and fitted together. The plunger member and its associated parts may be interchangeably used with a number oi container members, all of which contributes to the provisionof a very convenient, economical and time saving instrumentality for the purposes mentioned.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A suction syringe attachment for containers of test tube-like form comprising an endwise open tubular member of smaller external diameter than the internal diameter of a container which it is to serve, whereby to loosel fit into the latter in telescopic relation thereto, a soft rubber sleeve through which said tubular member slidably extends, said sleeve comprising a skirt portion havin an integral inwardly projecting annular flange portion at its upper end to constrictively embrace said tubular member in air-tight sealing but nevertheless slidable relation thereto, while at the same time offsetting said skirt portion in outwardly spaced concentric relation to said tubular member. said skirt portion being adapted to be detachably engaged over the open end of a container So as to constrictively embrace the same in stationary air-tight sealing relation thereto, and means for attaching a hypodermic needle in operative communicating relation to the outer end of said tubular member.

2. A device of the character described comprising an inner hollow tubular member open at both ends thereof, a hypodermic needle secured to the upper end of said inner tube, an outer hollow tubular member open at its upper end to slidably receive therewithin the inner tube and cloed at its lower end, a gasket member comprising a manually engageable soft rubber sleeve surrounding and constrictively gripping the outer aspect of the outer tube adjacent its upper end, sa'd sleeve having an integral, inwardly directed annular extension at the upper end of the sleeve reaching across the top of the outer member towards and slidably surrounding and constrictively gripping the inner member,

3. A device as in claim 2, in which the inwardly directed annular extension is recessed at its unders de to receive therewithin the upper end of the outer member.

4. A device as in claim 2, in which the annuar extension ha a short reversely reaching sleeve portion, spaced from and parallel to the sleeve gripping the outer tubular member, the reversely reaching sleeve gripping the inner aspect of the outer member.

AARON DOLMA'ICH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 509,676 Pilling et al Nov. 28. 1893 748,424 Schmidt Dec. 29, 1903 1,499,952 Spahlinger July 1, 1924 2,134,291 Schulz Oct, 25, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 342,630 France Sept, 13, 1904 

